Did former Met chief hold anti-Tory grudge?
ONCE Britain’s most senior counter-terrorism officer, Bob Quick has never forgiven those he believes sabotaged his high-flying career after his investigation into Damian Green.
After joining the Metropolitan Police in 1978 at 18, he rose through the ranks and was once considered a contender for the top job.
The 58-year-old was entrusted with leading Scotland Yard’s AntiCorruption Command in 2000 after the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry and two years later he was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for distinguished service.
In 2004, Mr Quick became the Chief Constable of Surrey, where during his four-year tenure the force was rated one of the bestperforming in England and Wales.
In 2008, the father of five returned to London to become an assistant commissioner of the Met Police. But within months, he was facing calls to quit over the decision to arrest then shadow immigration minister, Damian Green.
The Tory MP was held for nine hours while his Commons office, two homes and constituency office, were searched and computers removed by counter-terrorism officers in a leak inquiry.
In the ensuing political storm, it emerged Mr Quick’s wife was running a car hire firm from their home and details of their address were published on a website.
The officer then accused the Tories of being ‘wholly corrupt’ in leaking the story to intimidate him and his investigation. But he was forced to apologise after then party leader David Cameron said the claim ‘Tory machinery’ was mobilised against his investigation was ‘completely baseless’.
Mr Green was later cleared of any wrongdoing. Mr Quick complained bitterly that the investigation cost him his career.
He quit in April 2009 after being photographed arriving at Downing Street with documents detailing a counter-terror operation clearly visible. He later claimed he might have survived the gaffe if it had not been for the Green affair.
‘I accepted I wasn’t popular in those quarters,’ he told the BBC. ‘I’d read in newspapers various unattributed comments – “We’re going to get Quick” … so I guess I wasn’t surprised by that.’
‘Forced to apologise’